8 
PART OF A LIFE HISTORY 
a 
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Theodore Fisher, M.D., M.R.C.P., became Secretary 1897 
(January), and resigned at the annual meeting on Janu- 
ary 25, 1900. Since then our present Hon. Sec., Professor 
Sidney H. Reynolds has worthily filled the post ; and has 
found, like his predecessors, that it is a hard matter some- 
times to persuade members to provide pabulum in the 
form of papers, for the monthly meetings to assimilate. 
There are references, from time to time, in the Minutes of 
the Society’s meetings and in the annual Reports, to the 
scarcity of what may be termed “ Working Members,” 
and in this association I would again refer to the quota- 
tion I gave just now from the annual Report read on 
May 5, 1866. 
The “ Reporting Secretaries ” have been sixteen 
in number. Only two served for as long a period as five 
years, and these were Edward Bernard Tawney, F.G.S., 
F.Z.S., 1873 to 1878, and Mary Katharine Moore, 1896 
'to 1901. Our first lady-officer was a great success, and 
it is amusing to read in the Minutes of the Society that in 
October, 1863, the hazardous experiment of admitting 
ladies at all — and then merely as visitors — to the meet- 
ings was made ! The record runs thus : “ That the 
Council should be empowered to invite the attendance 
of ladies whenever the subjects of the evening are likely 
to be of a nature to interest a female audience.” In 
March, 1868, a further concession was granted by the 
creation of a class of Lady Associates,” but it was not 
until October, 1872, that the gentler sex obtained full 
enfranchisement, and had the right to membership. 
The Honorary Librarians have numbered five. 
From 1865 to 1879 the wonderful zeal of the late Pro- 
fessor Adolph Leipner enabled him to fulfil the duties of 
this office, as well as the onerous work of Hon. Secretary. 
Oliver Giles succeeded him, but resigned in 1883. Then 
again for a year Professor Leipner acted. From 1884 to 
